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It was on sale ($8) and even though it is out of print, Rick Swan's "Complete Guide to RPGs" had some good things to say about it. Swan cited it as an original, interesting scifi background. He would have been more correct to describe it as a strange fantasy campaign.

A highly advanced, benevolent race visits 1980s Earth with news that their own (the alien's) sun's pending supernova will destroy all life on Earth. The aliens arrange to transport the inhabitants of our planet and any goods, save weapons, to the planet Mach. There they would share their new home with its original inhabitants and 3 other refugee races. In the process a large portion of Earth's population is misplaced (though humans outnumber the other refugee races on Mach), weapons are smuggled and the savior race is nowhere to be found nor ever heard from again.

The game takes place 200 years, and several armed conflicts later. Characters are of one of the refugee races, native Machs or a very non-humanoid alien race who made it to Mach on their own with unknown intent. The adventure is in living on, and exploring, the planet in the wake of 200 years of technical atrophy and destructive warfare.

The game system itself is usable, not overly easy nor complicated, but by no means original. It uses a skill based system in which "blocks" in a skill, or psionic discipline, are purchased with experience points increasing the character's proficiency in that skill/discipline (much like DragonQuest levels). DragonQuest (and possibly Fifth Cycle) players may find this psionic system and skills useful, with a little tinkering. Experience points are earned via adventuring, self training, using a tutor and/or going to a school. Some skills/disciplines require tutor or school training at certain levels in order to advance.

Character attributes are comparable with AD&D with the additions of Psyche (for psionic ability, much like magic aptitude in DragonQuest or Fifth Cycle) and Appearance (AD&D 1st edition comeliness). Interesting rules which provide for relationships between high and low Stamina (constitution) and Strength, as well as Charisma and Appearance, are easily adapted to AD&D-like games. Similarly the PC/NPC races are also AD&D compatible, providing the following new options:

Bane - giant, physically powerful but of low intellect,
Mach - aboriginal natives with possible psionic powers,
Palir - psionic, formerly pacifist, asexual and scholarly,
Tofus - possibly evil, psionic, exploitive and hated, and
Tracks - very non-humanoid and strange aliens.

The rest of Mach is also very usable with AD&D, including weapons statistics and creature parallels. In fact this world would make an excellent addition to a Spelljammer campaign or as a campaign world itself, using the AD&D system. The lack/low occurrence of fire arms and technology make this an excellent fantasy campaign. It would also work extremely well with Gamma World, 4th ed. It may be even more compatible with GW4 than AD&D, providing an alternate campaign world or additions to an existing one. Psionics replaces magic on Mach and the psionic system is easily adapted to AD&D rules. The skill system could also be used to augment existing character classes, create new ones or as a source of non-weapon proficiencies. With the exception of the physical powerful, and giant sized Bane, all PC/NPC races have at least some chance at psionic abilities. The psionics, races and attribute ranges (high by traditional AD&D standards) are very "Dark Sun"-like although this world is hardly devastated nor dominated. On the contrary, it is ripe for exploration, adventure and exploitation.

The scenario that is included in the boxed set is genre generic and is useful even outside of Mach based campaigns. I highly recommend this game for AD&D, Palladium, Hero System, Chaosim BRP and maybe Gamma World, DragonQuest & 5th Cycle players looking for a unique change of pace at a low price. If a campaign on Mach is not to your liking, maybe a visit to it, or at least pirating of some of its ideas is well worth $8.

Mach comes complete with background, mechanics and extremely easy to use character skill/psionic discipline advancement record sheets. What it lacks is any maps or other such details. We are told there are cities of colonists and ancient ruins to explore but almost no details are given. This will not hinder the creative nor the rules pirates. Only those who are looking for commercial campaigns that are all sewn up are cautioned away from Mach.

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Mach
Author: Michael Lange Category: game Company/Publisher: Alliance Publications Ltd. Line: Mach Capsule Review by Papyrus on 06/11/99. Genre tags: Fantasy Science_fiction Post-apocalypse	It was on sale ($8) and even though it is out of print, Rick Swan's "Complete Guide to RPGs" had some good things to say about it. Swan cited it as an original, interesting scifi background. He would have been more correct to describe it as a strange fantasy campaign. A highly advanced, benevolent race visits 1980s Earth with news that their own (the alien's) sun's pending supernova will destroy all life on Earth. The aliens arrange to transport the inhabitants of our planet and any goods, save weapons, to the planet Mach. There they would share their new home with its original inhabitants and 3 other refugee races. In the process a large portion of Earth's population is misplaced (though humans outnumber the other refugee races on Mach), weapons are smuggled and the savior race is nowhere to be found nor ever heard from again. The game takes place 200 years, and several armed conflicts later. Characters are of one of the refugee races, native Machs or a very non-humanoid alien race who made it to Mach on their own with unknown intent. The adventure is in living on, and exploring, the planet in the wake of 200 years of technical atrophy and destructive warfare. The game system itself is usable, not overly easy nor complicated, but by no means original. It uses a skill based system in which "blocks" in a skill, or psionic discipline, are purchased with experience points increasing the character's proficiency in that skill/discipline (much like DragonQuest levels). DragonQuest (and possibly Fifth Cycle) players may find this psionic system and skills useful, with a little tinkering. Experience points are earned via adventuring, self training, using a tutor and/or going to a school. Some skills/disciplines require tutor or school training at certain levels in order to advance. Character attributes are comparable with AD&D with the additions of Psyche (for psionic ability, much like magic aptitude in DragonQuest or Fifth Cycle) and Appearance (AD&D 1st edition comeliness). Interesting rules which provide for relationships between high and low Stamina (constitution) and Strength, as well as Charisma and Appearance, are easily adapted to AD&D-like games. Similarly the PC/NPC races are also AD&D compatible, providing the following new options: Bane - giant, physically powerful but of low intellect, Mach - aboriginal natives with possible psionic powers, Palir - psionic, formerly pacifist, asexual and scholarly, Tofus - possibly evil, psionic, exploitive and hated, and Tracks - very non-humanoid and strange aliens. The rest of Mach is also very usable with AD&D, including weapons statistics and creature parallels. In fact this world would make an excellent addition to a Spelljammer campaign or as a campaign world itself, using the AD&D system. The lack/low occurrence of fire arms and technology make this an excellent fantasy campaign. It would also work extremely well with Gamma World, 4th ed. It may be even more compatible with GW4 than AD&D, providing an alternate campaign world or additions to an existing one. Psionics replaces magic on Mach and the psionic system is easily adapted to AD&D rules. The skill system could also be used to augment existing character classes, create new ones or as a source of non-weapon proficiencies. With the exception of the physical powerful, and giant sized Bane, all PC/NPC races have at least some chance at psionic abilities. The psionics, races and attribute ranges (high by traditional AD&D standards) are very "Dark Sun"-like although this world is hardly devastated nor dominated. On the contrary, it is ripe for exploration, adventure and exploitation. The scenario that is included in the boxed set is genre generic and is useful even outside of Mach based campaigns. I highly recommend this game for AD&D, Palladium, Hero System, Chaosim BRP and maybe Gamma World, DragonQuest & 5th Cycle players looking for a unique change of pace at a low price. If a campaign on Mach is not to your liking, maybe a visit to it, or at least pirating of some of its ideas is well worth $8. Mach comes complete with background, mechanics and extremely easy to use character skill/psionic discipline advancement record sheets. What it lacks is any maps or other such details. We are told there are cities of colonists and ancient ruins to explore but almost no details are given. This will not hinder the creative nor the rules pirates. Only those who are looking for commercial campaigns that are all sewn up are cautioned away from Mach. Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 3 (Average)